8 Weeks – Plus Sizes and Pregnancy Concerns

Plus Sized Weight Gain in Pregnancy

I mentioned before that I was overweight. I did not change that before I got pregnant. I wanted to with the wedding coming up, but I’m a stress eater.

It is a concern, because even though many overweight women have healthy pregnancies, there is a higher risk to both the baby and the mother. Being a mom over 40 had risks of its own, but this increases them more. Risks of being overweight include:

Higher chances of gestational high blood pressure and preeclampsia

Higher risk of gestational diabetes

Higher risk of miscarriage/stillbirth

Here are more facts:

Per a 2010 study in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, you are at a 50% risk for gestational diabetes if you gain more than the recommended weight gain while pregnant, particularly if you gained a lot in the first trimester. You can read the report here .

Gestational weight gain does drive fetal growth. However, this is not apparently affected until 2nd and 3rd trimester per another report here. Specifically, a connection was made for large babies and weight gain in the last two trimesters, and low birth weight or small babies were related to weight gain in the 2nd trimester.

So what do you do?

First, you talk to your doctor about it. Make the question on the first visit. Your biggest task will be healthy weight control on this to help control the risks.

Normal weight gain for a “healthy” body mass index is 15 – 25 pounds during the pregnancy.For someone with a BMI of over 30, you are usually only advised to gain 11 – 20 pounds. You can find a pregnancy weight gain tracker here. Most of that gain is in the later trimesters, not the first.

Do not go on a diet now, though your OB may have you follow some guidelines. It might be harder to follow than you expect. I didn’t feel like eating most of my pregnancy and a lot of healthy food turned my stomach. You should refrain from sodas if you can because of the extra calories and definitely don’t drink diet beverages because of all the chemicals in them that aren’t good for you even when you aren’t pregnant.

Keep in mind you are “not” eating for two, so don’t start eating double your normal amount even though your appetite may increase considerably. I had a friend that doubled her portions at dinner and ate two desserts when we went out for lunch while she was pregnant and hadn’t had that large of an appetite prior.

Eat smart. Eat the types of things you should have been eating before pregnant to be healthy, not to loose weight. These include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, stuff like that. You may be having trouble stomaching certain foods, but try to make switches where you can.

My “This Week’s Symptoms”

Morning sickness is more frequent than in the early weeks, but no vomiting. It centers in the evening.

Minor breast tenderness

The ghost cramps come and go but are infrequent

My skin has changed. It’s much drier in some areas (like my back) and oily on my face